They have until June 15 to leave Russia if they are living there illegally. One million migrants are thus affected by this announcement. In mid-December, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended the residency status of foreign citizens living in Russia until June 15, 2021, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
This measure concerned migrants from countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) living in Russia without appropriate documents.
“These people will be punished by the expulsion and the closing of the borders if they do not leave before the deadline of June 15,” indicated the news agency RIA Novosti quoting the vice-minister of the interior Alexandre Gorovoi. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, more than 332 000 illegal migrants from Uzbekistan currently reside in Russia, as well as 247 000 from Tajikistan, 152 000 from Ukraine, 120 000 from Azerbaijan, 115 000 from Kyrgyzstan, 61 000 from Armenia, 56 000 from Moldova and 49 000 from Kazakhstan.